According to a recent report, the city’s technology jobs have increased by 25% in the past year, and tech salaries are up by 13%.

“The collective energy and momentum surrounding innovation and entrepreneurship in St. Louis right now is pretty palpable,” said Chad Stiening, who’s early-stage company Kypha has raised more than $3 million since launching in 2011. “We’re seeing the human, intellectual, physical and financial capital all reaching critical mass and it’s creating an ecosystem that’s essential to be competitive in the marketplace,” he said.

But while the low cost of living and access to funding is enticing, such qualities don’t exactly differentiate St. Louis from many other tech hubs scattered between the coasts. So what makes St. Louis so special?

Cliff Holekamp, a lecturer in entrepreneurship at Washington University’s Olin School of Business, thinks it’s the culture of the city itself. “We’ve hit a tipping point where what were once individual happenings have become a really vibrant community … it goes from a community to a culture,” he told PolicyMic.

“And that’s what happened here. I met a girl the other day who said she is moving from Austin to St. Louis for the entprerenship scene because she wants to be part of something that has momentum, and she was drawn to the enthusiasm of being in the growth stage. In fact, St. Louis itself is sort of like a tech startup in these respects.”

These pioneering St. Louisans all believe the city is the best place for their startups. Here’s why. “

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